Chapter 7.2

By the time Liv left the mansion, it was already dark.

The middle-aged man, who initially dealt with Liv in the drawing room, introduced himself as the manager, Monte. His job was not just to take care of the building, but to manage all the art works in it.

The mansion was a private exhibition hall where the art works the Marquis collected were stored. Considering that it was described as ‘one of the exhibition halls’, there seemed to be several more buildings similar to the mansion. Monte told her that this was the largest exhibition hall among them and he let her know about the Marquis’ kind offer, that the Marquis allowed the guests to look around if they wanted to. Of course, Liv refused and expressed her intention to leave immediately.

If she could, she wanted to ride the carriage that Monte had called. Her mind was getting blank from trying to walk a long distance to her home while she was utterly exhausted from the talk with the Marquis. However, when she thought about the cost of paying for only a few minutes of comfort, the energy that had been running low was revived. When she arrived home, she was literally exhausted and couldn’t lift a finger.

Still, the worst was avoided. Liv let out a long sigh. Slowly blinking her eyelids, she recalled her conversation with the Marquis.

“You won’t be able to bring the price of the painting anyway.”

There was no sign of anger in his voice. It was only dry and insensitive, but on the contrary, it felt like a big rebuke to Liv. Liv, who was looking at the Marquis, who didn’t even look at her, carefully opened her mouth.

“If you give me a little time, I will do my best.”

“Even if you get the time, how will you get the money? I don’t think both you and the artist’s circumstances are that generous.”

Without the need to investigate, it was a situation that could be found out quickly just by examining her outfit a little.

Liv clutched her skirt, feeling a twinge at her heart. In the eyes slowly looking down, dispirited, she saw the toe caps stained with all kinds of mud and dirt on the street. Too much that it was so embarrassing to step on the carpet in the office. There must already be a lot of dirty spots on the clean carpet.

“I’ll skip the wasteful conversation. I want a painting.”

“Please not that painting…”

“Isn’t it okay to just redraw a painting without the model’s face?”

Liv looked up with a startled look. The Marquis was still reading the paper on the desk, so he didn’t look at her.

“Are you… Are you okay with that?”

“If you bring me another painting, I’ll give the painting to you.”

Liv, who was thinking about the way to get some time and return the money back, opened her mouth without realizing it.

Another painting? She could expose her back as much as needed if she could get the drawing with her face exposed and get rid of it.

“I’ll tell Brad right away! It will be possible. We will work as fast as…”

“There are conditions instead.”

The Marquis continued slowly, cutting off Liv who was talking incoherently.

“I want to observe the work process.”

“The work process…?”

“Of course, alone.”

The work process means the process of painting. He was saying he would be there when Brad paints Livs.

“Can you accept it?”

The Marquis glanced up and looked at Liv.

If I refuse here, the Marquis’ mercy will surely disappear like a mirage. Liv, who was hesitating, swallowed her dry saliva.

His terms were the kind that left her guessing about his intentions. Whether Liv’s appearance in the same pose for hours, or Brad’s work, which exuded a terrible smell of paint, would not satisfy his interest even for an hour. Nevertheless, Liv couldn’t tell him that he would be bored or ask why he would give those conditions.

It wasn’t a place to ask her opinion.

Liv nodded slowly.

“Yes.”

“I will provide the studio. Start it next week.”

Liv, who was about to nod quietly once again, suddenly spoke up.

“Oh, but I have to talk to Brad, too.”

It was true that Brad unilaterally broke the agreement, but eventually, she needed Brad’s cooperation to accept the Marquis’ conditions.

The Marquis squinted at Liv’s words. He, who leaned slightly on the backrest with his upper body upright, put his hand on the armrest. The tip of the hand wearing white gloves tapped the leather at a constant beat.